Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Pinkberry, Schminkberry

Frozen yogurt's all the rage in LA, but I'll take a small full-fat gelato over a strangely tangy, ice-crystal-filled tub of FroYo any day.

While Fiore and Pinkberry may smother their yogurts with yummy fresh fruits, Mi Amici actually uses the fresh fruit in the gelato. This new spot means danger for me; it just opened on Wilshire Blvd in Koreatown, mere blocks from my office. So far I've sampled the Donatella (chocolate hazelnut) and pear--both richly, creamily, decadently delightful.

According to the girl behind the counter (who says "have a gelato day" to every customer as they leave, then giggles uncontrollably), all of the gelato is made fresh on the premises each morning. They must be very busy as they have over 20 flavors on display.

Mi Amici also serves coffee and specialty teas, has free wifi and limited seating. Prices seem comparable to both the yogurt spots and other gelato places around town--a whopping $3 for a small. Hopefully due to the price and the fact that my gym is two blocks in the other direction, I can manage to limit my visits....but pink grapefruit is next on my "to try" list.

This post has my mouth watering for La Gelateria in lovely Cleveland Heights, OH and their own pink grapefruit gelato. The last few times I've been back home and stopped by, they haven't had that flavor available - maybe next time.

Custard in Milwaukee? Try the Beverly Center!! Silky Smooth Ultra Creamery sells the real deal--shipped fresh all the way from the same dairy as Kopps & Culvers in Wisconsin. Their butterfat is reduced a bit for health purposes, but the taste is the same--I've had both. Silky Smooth will be the next craze to hit LA, now that the Pinkberry fad is wearing thin.